Amy's Best and Worst Day
by LilyMagic
Summary: COMPLETE. A short story about the unexpected events that happened on a day that changed Amy Rose's life forever - it was about time she finally got over Sonic. A Shadamy tribute - Shadow X Amy two-shot.
1. Chapter 1

**Amy's best and worst day**

New Mobotropolis.

One of the few places on Planet Mobius inhabited only by actual Mobians. It was a humble little city, hidden in the forest, all houses were simple and small and surrounded the only large building: the palace of the royal family. The day was clear and bright. A pink female hedgehog sat on a bench on the side of a trail right on the edge of the forest. She observed the leaves of the trees move with the blowing wind, her lips curved into a permament wide smile, he eyes in a daze. She appeared to be absolutely enamored with something inside her mind, and she kept sighing deeply.

Amy Rose yawned after a few minutes of inmobility, stretched her arms, and layed sideways on the bench, her head resting on her hands. The previous day had been intense in all sense of the word. Julie-Su was now training her so hard that she left almost all the sessions with bruises and scrapes - currently, her entire body still ached - but thankfully her fighting ability was improving inmensely. She felt content at the thought of it, knowing that soon, very soon, she would catch the eye of the love of her life. For sure, it was only a matter of time. Sonic will defenitely notice her.

_I'm almost there...My love. I'm almost one of the best Freedom Fighters. I'm going to be the best for you._

She sighed again at her own thoughts, again losing herself to a myriad of fantasies and daydreams. Not long after, her eyes remained close, and her breathing became very soft and rhythmical. Her entire body relaxed and there she remained still.

The wind moved leaves through the path of dirt that ran from inside the gates of New Mobotropolis to the mountains nearby. On either side of it were large trees and bushes, and on the middle approached another figure. It was a black and red hedgehog, the same shape and size as any other Mobian, but with long, spiky quills and blood red eyes. He walked leisurely, clearly not in a hurry to reach his destination. As he approached the Mobian city, to the edge of the forest, he suddenly stopped.

He watched the girl sleeping on the bench with a neutral expression for a few moments. Her expression was utterly peaceful and her lips were slightly parted. Strands of her pink hair fell over her eyelids and moved slowly about with the breeze. The sight of her left him mezmerized, and he observed her closely as he slowly approached her.

Her face brought back a wave of bittersweet memories. He could almost imagine the same girl sleeping peacefully near to him but with long, blonde hair, a larger, human body, and behind the closed eyelids, pale blue eyes...

_Maria..._

His chest stung him suddenly at the thought of her name. He rememberd the young human girl, smiling lovingly at him - an unnatural being - as if he was one of her kind. He could remember the sound of her sweet voice... and then there was this pink hedgehog, as if she was a reincarnation of Maria, her soul so similar... He remembered the sound of Amy's voice that fateful day on the Ark... and remembered her words exactly - "_I know that people fight over the most trivial things. Some people may be selfish, like the professor said... but they're basically good, if they try their best and never give up on their wishes. They always have a reason to be happy; that's why you should help them out!" _

Incredible how the words of a mere Mobian girl changed him so suddenly. That day, as impossible as it might seem, this mortal being had saved _him_, the ultimate lifeform, an immortal of great power... and in doing so, saved the entire planet as well.

He realized he had been so lost in his thoughts he didn't remember getting on one knee beside her, his face only inches away from hers. Again he took in every single detail of her face. He studied her long eyelashes, the brightly colored fur of her ears and her lips, still slightly parted, were so surprisingly inviting...

His body acted on its own. A second later his own lips brushed against hers, ever so lightly, and touched them for a few seconds.

Then just as quickly he stood up straight, control regained. Surprised at the sudden and uncharacteristic act of affection, Shadow turned and left toward the city, his pace faster than before.

Amy Rose remained in the exact same position, unaffected and still deeply asleep.

On the other side of the trail, farther into the forest, a golden two tailed fox stared in utter shock, his lips forming a wide "O". The young Mobian remained frozen on his previous action, and only after a while did he manage to continue his way toward the city. He stared in disbelief at Amy Rose as he passed her by.

* * *

A petite Mobian bunny of yellow fur sat on a beanbag next to Amy Rose's closet. The room was decorated with all sorts of princess style colors and accesories, the bed filled with laced pillows and blankets, all pink, white, light purple, with only hints of red. The owner threw one more dress on the bed, where there was already a pile of them, and took another one from the closet. The base color was black but it had pink roses across it and it had a V-cut neck, with a pink ribbon on the waist to be tied back.

"Oh Cream!" squeaked Amy as she began to put on her outfit. "I'm SO incredibly exited, I think I'll faint!"

"I know, Amy... I'm so happy for you!" the cute Bunny girl smiled brightly at her only older-sisterly figure. "I always knew he liked you!"

"You did?" exclaimed Amy, her cheeks blushing instantly. "Really?"

"Sure..."

"I just can't believe this day finally came!"

"You really tried hard, Amy. You deserve it."

She stood before her long mirror and pulled the zipper of her dress up. She smoothed it down and turned around. "How's this one?"

"Hmm..." Cream hesistated for a moment. "It looks too short on you."

"That's true," replied Amy, studying herself from every angle. "I might give him the wrong impression..." she giggled and blushed an even deeper shade of red.

Cream giggled as well. "But it's the prettiest one. Maybe if you put something else on?" she suggested.

Amy smiled brightly at her. "That's right! Oh, Cream, you're great." She took some pink leggins from her closet and put them on. "There, that looks better. I can't believe I didn't think of it, I'm just too nervous!"

"Just relax, Amy."

"O-kay," breathed Amy. She let out a deep breath and continued to fix herself up. She put on a pair of new shoes, similar to her usual boots, but black with a pink stripe in the middle. "There! Now I finally look cute enough."

She started to fix her hair, picking a new headband from her collection.

"Amy, I have something for you to wear. It's a gift from mommy to you, as an early birthday present."

Cream held out a bracelet made of light purple stones.

Amy gasped excitedly. "Aww, Cream! Tell her thanks, this is so cute! And it's purple amathyst!"

"Mom said this helps attract love."

"I know, this is perfect! Thank you!"

Amy leaned down and gave her little sister-like friend a tight hug. "Thanks to you two, the date's gonna go great! I'm sure of it!"

* * *

The night remained as clear as the day. No clouds were present in the sky. Only the bright moon shining straight down, illuminating the path Amy walked through along with the light from the light posts all around the city. Her heart was already hammering so fast in her chest, just from the idea that her dream will finally come true. Everything she had worked hard on, everything she had hoped with every fiber of her being, was slowly approaching...

And yet...

As she walked over to Sonic's house, she felt an odd feeling of foreboding. Again, it came to her attention what she had been trying to supress all day; the prospect of actually going on a date with her everything just seemed too good to be true, especially after four years of desperate courtship. She continued walking, trying to control her nerves. She could finally see Sonic's house on the other side of the trail, three houses down.

Her stomach felt very tight and butterflies appeared - but only unpleasant ones - as soon she realized that loud rock music was coming from the house, along with the sound of numerous voices. Thorugh the windows she could see many familiar faces standing around chatting, drinks on their hands. About half of the minor freedom fighters, apparently, were hanging out at Sonic's...

She stood motionless in front of the house and gulped, intense dread increasing exponentially. She could hear raucous laughing and could see people enter and leave the house from the backdoor. The place was packed with Mobians. All of the sudden, the previous day came to her in a flash...

_"Eat dinner with you?" _

_She had been waiting for hours outside the Freedom Fighter HQ that day, barely standing the throbbing pain on her exhausted legs after the incredibly difficult training session._

_"Y- Yeah..." her voice trembled with nerves. "Would you go with me?" _

_She could barely look at him in the eyes, the bright emerald green eyes she had lusted after like crazy for so long... Sonic's expression was odd; a mixture of amusement and impatience, but at the same time, strangely pleased._

_"Sorry, but I have to go right now. I already ate anyway. How bout' tomorow?"_

_The last part caught Amy completely offguard. She had been certain she would hear yet another blatant rejection._

_"W- Wha-?"_

_"Come tomorow to my place, eight o' clock," he said nonchalantly, with a shrug, then dissapeared from sight, leaving Amy behind among strong gusts of winds that almost made her lose her balance - his usual exit. She had remained frozen in shock for a few seconds before her brain was able to register what she had just heard, internalize it, and then understand what had happened. A few seconds later, she jumped up and down in a frenzy, squealing like crazy and causing a group of nearby Mobians to stare at her, laughing._

The sound of a glass breaking inside the house brought her back. She heard an upsurge of raucous laughing, then Sonic's unmistakable voice cry out amongst the noise, "Hey pal, take it easy there!" Then the person in question yelled back, "Sorry! I'll buy your mom a new one."

More laughing and loud conversations.

She realized she couldn't stand there any longer without being discovered. With increasing dread, she walked closer toward the front door and rang the bell.

Her heart felt like it would come out of her mouth any second. Soon after, the door opened.

"Amy!" greeted Knuckles the Echidna, a close friend. "Good to see you're still alive!"

She nodded at him numbly in response, then at her trianer Julie-Su, who was wrapped under Knuckles's arm.

"Come on, I don't abuse my students," Julie-Su teased, winking at her boyfriend. Then she studied Amy from head to toe. "Wow, Amy, you look amazing! You really dressed up!"

"Yeah, she did," agreed Knuckles. "Come inside, girl, and grab a drink. There's chilli dogs over there by..."

The echidna's voice had faded to the back of Amy's mind, because at that moment, in which she merely stood on the thresold of the front door, a few critical seconds had transpired as she took in what she had just seen behind her two friends.

Amongst the bodies of a myriad of Mobians she could see clearly a group of "first class" Freedom Fighters sitting around a small round table, where they appeared to be playing some sort of card game. She immidiately noticed there were two couples, Tails, Rotor and one of the Chaotix members. One of the couples was Bunnie and Antoine, who sat very closely together, their arms wrapped around each other, and the other one was Sonic with Sally Acorn sitting on his lap, her arm resting on his shoulder. The infuriatingly beautiful princess had her neck slightly bent and her lips were glued to Sonic's.

Amy felt as if someone had just stabbed her on the chest with a sword.

"Amy?...Um, Amy, you there?"

Julie-Su's voice was full of concern. Amy's world had suddenly become blurry and confusing as she looked back at them and shook her head.

"Oh, sorry, it's just - I forgot something, I'll be right back."

She turned on her heel and ran in the opposite direction. She ignored the calls from both Knuckles and Julie-Su as she went back through the same route she had just taken, her face wet with tears she hadn't realized were falling.

[TO BE CONTINUED!]

I just recently became enamored with the idea of Shadamy. Hope you like the story, if you hate the couple then don't read! Same goes for SonSally haters. I'll finish it soon! It's gonna get good...


	2. Chapter 2

Amy Rose couldn't see a thing. Her entire vision was clouded with the tears that drowned her as she ran away as fast as she could, sobbing uncontrollably. It was as if her chest had a large, aching hole in it. She paid no attention to where she was going. Luckily, the street was empty and there was no one to witness her misery. The way to her house was so deeply engraved in her mind, she could go through without looking foward, her gaze on the floor she ran as an unconscious way to hide her face.

When the trail ended, she took a turn to the left, crossing between bushes, and into the next main street's sidewalk.

Then she felt herself crash against something furry yet so strong it might have been a wall. The blow caused her to fly back and land on her butt, the pain from the fall harshly bringing her back to reality.

"You klutz!" cried a familiar girl's voice, clearly annoyed. "Watch where you're going!"

"Ouch...sorry..." replied Amy, too embarassed to look up and too miserably to speak clearly. Sobs escaped her again, the pain in her heart much worse than the physical one.

Shadow the Hedgehog had only moved a little to the side when Amy crashed into him, but it had been enough to bump into Rouge the Bat, who had been walking beside him. He moved away from her.

"Sorry," he told Rouge in his soft yet masculine voice.

"What? It's _her_ fault, not yours..." sneered Rouge, looking down at the pink hedgehog with contempt.

Shadow stepped closer to Amy Rose and offered his hand, and Rouge's expression immidiately changed into one of astonishment.

The pink hedgehog lifted her gaze - tears still falling down uncontrollably - and saw the gloved hand in front of her face. Amy was beyond shocked when she realized who it belonged to, more so when she noticed Shadow's strangely warm expression, even with his fearsome red eyes glistening in the moonlight.

_Shadow...is being nice to me?_

Numbly, she took his hand and allowed him to help her up. He took both of her hands in the process and when she was back on her feet, he kept looking at her intensely, not releasing them.

"Are you hurt?" he asked gently.

"N-No...I'm okay...I mean..." stuttered Amy Rose between sobs. She knew she was on a mental and emotional crisis at the moment, but even so, as she looked at the mysterious hedgehog's expression she only noticed that he had precisely what she desperately needed at that moment.

"OH SHADOW!" Amy cried, and flung her arms around him, sobbing on his shoulder. "I WANT TO DIE! I FEEL SO WORTHLESS!" She let it all out and cried even harder.

Shadow's eyes were wide with shock the moment the girl threw herself on him, his body rigid, his hands at his sides. But soon after, his eyes softened again, and he placed both of his hands on the crying girl's back, allowing her to remain where she was.

Rouge's jaw had dropped. She blinked, thinking it was a dream, but again she saw the same impossible scene ocurring before her. It was uttely ridiculous and just completely unfathomable. Throughout the years she had known Shadow, he had not yet shown an ounce of human emotion or sympathy before her. She felt very unconfortable, like she was intruding in someone's intimate, private moment.

"Um, Shadow?" she asked numbly, thinking that maybe if she called him he would snap out of it.

But he looked at her calmly, not changing his position. "What is it?"

She stared at him, completely baffeled. "Well...I'll just..." she stuttered, shrugging in an attempt to seem nonchalant. "I'll go ahead without you. I'll meet with you later."

"Okay," he answered simply.

Amy Rose's sobs were all that could be heard for a while as Rouge made her way to her destination, still feeling frozen inside with shock.

The unpleasant feeling still hadn't worn away by the time she reached Sonic's house, but Rouge was usually good at pretending. As she made her way through the party, she winked at her numerous male admirers among the Freedom Fighters, ignored the usual jealous sneers from the females, and smiled brightly as soon as she spotted her target.

Rouge flung herself unto a certain red Echidna's back, squeezing him. "_Hey there handsome," _she purred seductively.

"R-Rouge? Hey, stop that!" protested Knuckles, annoyed and nervous. His girlfriend Julie-Su, who had been standing right next to him, glared at Rouge, then at Knuckles, who had an apologetic smirk.

"Not you again! Get off him!"

"Hey, relax sweetie," teased Rouge as she released Knuckles. "I'm just saying hello!"

Before Julie-Su could say anything else, the bat girl had already left to greet each of the Freedom Fighters gathered around the round table nearby. She gave away kisses and hugs to the men and little smirks and waves to the women, most of whom stared at her coldly.

"And here is the other hottie of the party!" she told Sonic before kissing him on the cheek. "Thanks for the invite. Looking _good_ as always. And you too princess," she added with a wink.

Princess Sally, still sitting on her boyfriend's lap, grimaced uncomfortably in response. "Uh... thanks, I guess."

"Sit down girl!" requested Sonic, gesturing at the chair beside him. "_Mi casa es su casa. _Grab a beer."

"Don't mind if I do," replied Rouge, for a second her wall of pretense uncovered. She reached inside the nearest cooler and took one before sitting next to Sonic and Sally.

"Hey Rouge, where's Shadow?" asked Rotor, from the other side of the table. The various conversations going on suddenly stopped as everyone's looked at Rouge.

"Are you serious? Did you _really_ think he'd come to a party?" sneered the bat girl. She chuckled to hide her irritation, then took a large chug of beer.

"Yeah Rotor. Why would the ultimate lifeform be interested in mingling with mere mortals?" teased Espio beside him, elbowing his friend.

"I just assumed he'd be with Rouge," answered Rotor defensively. "What's the problem?"

"The problem is," broke in Bunnie Rabbot "The answer's too obvious! Ah mean, it would be freakin' weird if him black-hog was here, wouldn' it?"

"Yeah, _something_ tells me the Faker's not the partying type, Rote," said Sonic sarcastically. "More like the sulk in darkness type, actually" he added, laughing along with the others.

"Okay then, man! Sorry I asked! Geez!" Rotor took another chug of his beer, annoyed.

Tails, who had maintained an expression of discomfort, suddenly spoke.

"Actually, Sonic, I think Shadow is different than you think."

Everyone became silent and stared at the boy fox expectantly.

"Uh, nevermind," he said, suddenly nervous after being put on the spotlight. He pretended to be very interested in reading the label on his soda can.

"Come on bro! Spit it out," insisted Sonic. "What's on your mind?"

"I don't think any of you will believe me anyway," he answered, a little more to himself. He sighed. "But I'll tell you anyway. Just don't laugh at me."

The table was quiet and all eyes were on Tails.

"Well...I was at the forest taking a walk today... and, you especially, Sonic, know my unwilling habit of bumping into people that are making out in the woods..."

Most of them laughed at Sonic's uncomfortable expression after Princess Sally rolled her eyes at him. He rubbed his ears nervously, his lips curved into a little nervous smile. "_Yeah_, go on with the story Tails."

"Okay then, I'll just get to the point. While I was walking back to the city, I happened to see Shadow kiss Amy while she was asleep on one of the benches..."

A few moments of complete silence transpired as they all gazed at each other.

Then came an outburst of hysterical laughter.

"I told you not to laugh at me!" protested Tails, blushing.

"That's ridiculous! Shadow kissed Amy? Are you feeling okay?" teased Rotor between chuckles and then touched Tails' forehead.

Tails slapped his friend's hand away, irritated. "Stop it, I know what I saw, okay? Why would I make this up? It was right outside the city gates, near the forest -"

"Ha! Give me a break, kid. Shadow doesn't _do_ romance. And it took _me_," Rouge bragged, gesturing at her chest. "A true woman, _forever_ to get him to hang out outside of work."

"She's right, you know," insisted Espio. "I mean, how can someone like Shadow kiss a girl like Amy? And he isn't even Mobian!"

"Well, he _is_ a biological being. Maybe he has a thing for sweet and innocent mortals?" suggested Rotor jokingly.

"Dude, Amy's neither one of those," sneered Sonic. "Besides, it's not like they'll get together. You're kind of forgetting the fact that she's obsessed with me."

"Oooh! _Someone's _jealous," taunted Rotor.

"No way!" snapped Sonic, his expression disgusted and waving his hand in a dismissive gesture. "Remind me to send Shadow flowers tomorow to thank him for taking her off my back."

"One less stalker on t' list fo' you, suga'hog," said Bunnie, wiking at Sonic.

"Haha, that's right," said Charmy with a giggle. "Who would've known. Shadow the lover boy."

"Damn it! Are you all retarded?" cried Rouge, exasperated. "What part of Shadow doesn't date don't you get? Whatever, I need a stronger drink."

She stood and walked toward the kitchen area, leaving behind a slightly tense vibe. The group continued snickering as they exchanged amused looks.

"Looks like my bro isn't the only one jealous here," taunted Tails, eyeing his best friend. Everyone was watching Sonic expectantly.

"What? You guys are on crack! Why would _I_ care!"

Princess Sally, who had remained oddly serious throughout the entire conversation, playfully pulled one of Sonic's ears and glared at him.

"_Hey_! What is it?" he protested.

"You're so full of it," sneered Sally. "I've known you since we were four. You can't fool me."

She stood from his lap and crossed the crowded room without a glance back.

"Oh, snap," teased Knuckles "You're in trouble, man."

"Nah, that's just one of her typical mood swings," Sonic insisted as he watched his girlfriend walk away, his worried expression unseen by the others.

_Is this...possible?_

He had allowed her to cry until she had no more tears, unmoving and silent. She had found relief by resting her face against the slightly longer, white fur of his chest, sobbing more silently each moment until she finally found some tranquility. She had never felt more comfort in anyone else's arms before, and those arms belonged to Shadow the Hedgehog, someone that not too long ago she considered - along with everyone else - an evil being. Yet it was clearer than day now, he was evil no more, for how could a being of darkness be capable of holding her the way he did, his hand moving gently on her back as she sobbed.

When the crying finally subsided, Amy Rose wiped the tears off her face and looked up at him. His hands remained over her arms as they stood inches away from each other, staring into each other's eyes in silence and wonder. Inexplicably, she felt as if pieces of her heart were already assembling back in her chest, a light and fluttery feeling, and a very familiar one to her...

_Right after such terrible heartbreak, already...I'm..._

His crimson eyes were so unbelievably warm, and deep inside Amy could perceive the inmense loneliness, burning inside him like black flames. She hadn't noticed before how handsome he was, despite his sinister appearance, and his voice, earlier, had been so tender and so incredibly attractive...

Layer after layer of her own loneliness that had acumulated throughout the years took over her. Before she even considered the possibility of doing it, Amy Rose inched closer to Shadow and pressed her lips against his.

Immidiately she felt him become tense. She broke away, astounded at her own action, and took a step back.

"I'm sorry," she cried softly. "I don't know why I did that - damn, I'm a mess right now! I'll go now - thank you."

She turned around and began to walk in the opposite direction.

Then she felt a strong hand clasp her wrist, pulling her back. A second later her body was thrown against Shadow's again, her face held firmly by his hands, and his lips pressed fiercely to hers. Amy lost herself in the moment, returning the same sudden, inexplicable and overwhelming passion. Incapable of thought, she wrapped her arms around him and their lips moved together as the kiss deepened.

It was the best kiss she'd had in her life, beyond anything she could imagine possible. Fierce yet sweet, the type she thought only existed in movies.

When they broke appart, she was out of breath and slightly dizzy. Her body would have swayed to the side had he not been holding her close to him. He looked into her eyes as his elegant, soft voice flowed through his lips again...

"Amy Rose, don't ever say you're worthless again, or that you want to die. You are more valuable than any of those fools who call themselves freedom fighters, because you saved the world yourself. Promise me that you won't let anyone make you feel that way again."

It was the most she'd heard him speak. At that moment she knew that every one of his words had become engraved in her heart.

"I promise," she replied, still slightly breathless. "You don't know how much those words mean to me..."

"I do know," he insisted. "It was your own words that changed me forever and saved this planet that day, and for that I'll be forever grateful."

"Shadow..."

She couldn't get over the shock at discovering this side of him. After their brief first conversation on the Ark over a year ago, she had only seen him in the middle of fierce battles - battles he had fought alongside Freedom Fighters - and ones in which he would crush enemies without hesitation, his face completely lacking any emotion each and everytime.

And now it was as if the coat of ice had completely melted to reveal his true inner self. The image she had of him before dissapeared completely. She looked at their entwined hands and knew that all along it was meant to be.

"I've always known, somehow, that you were a sweet and caring person," said Amy as she gazed into his eyes. "Thank you so much for putting up with me like that..."

"Don't worry," answered Shadow. "It didn't bother me."

"And...you know..." Amy's tone became playful. "I never imagined you'd be such a great kisser."

Shadow tilted his face down in silence.

"Aww, are you blushing?" asked Amy, beaming at him. "That's so cute!"

"Nonesense," he protested, still not looking at her, but he couldn't hide the reddish color of his cheeks.

_I just fell in love..._Amy laughed softly as she watched him, her heart growing with affection every second. "You know what? I think we need to lighten up a little. And since I'm all dressed up, do you mind taking me to dinner?"

"What?"

"Oh,_ brother_," teased Amy with a soft laugh. "_I'll_ take you then! Come on!"

She pressed Shadow's hand tighter and dragged him away, ignoring his half-hearted protests as they made their way toward downtown Mobotropolis.

And so it began...

* * *

* If you liked it **PLEASE REVIEW ***

* I might write a sequel to this if I get enough reviews. Hopefully it will be longer and with a more complex plot. Shadow + Amy 4 life. :D


	3. Teaser scene

This is an extra scene or a "teaser" I wrote. I might actually turn it into a sequel if I get enough reviews ;)

* * *

**The Warrior Cutie, Amy Rose.**

Amy Rose Hedgehog sat peacefully on her favorite bench outside the gates of Mobotropolis. She wore a small pink and violet plaid skirt, black leggings, a tight pink and black halter top, and her new boots. She was fixing herself up using the mirror of her compact powder case. She checked the time on the watch under her glove and then took out a lipgloss and started applying it.

Three Mobians were approaching from farther down the forest behind her. They whispered quietly amongst each other, pointing at the pink hedghog. One of them, another female hedgehog but with light purple fur and a pink bow, used her above average speed and stood right behind Amy and covered Amy's eyes with her hands.

"Not when I'm putting on makeup, Sarah," said Amy with a sigh. She pulled away her friend's hand and turned to smile at her. "Hey."

Sarah sighed impatiently and sat next to Amy, frowning at her. "I can never surprise you anymore," she whined.

"I know," bragged Amy with a wink. "I also noticed Dexter and Tara are right behind me."

"Hey! No fair," cried a high-pitched yet male voice close behind her, and a dark brown Mobian fox knelt before Amy melodramatically and held her hands. "You have become so much stronger than me, my darling! How is it possible? Please, train me!" he begged.

"No can do, Dexter," she answered, pulling her hands away and shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She stretched her body for a moment so she could see behind her friends, who obstructed her view of the end of the trail that reached the ground below them.

"Who you waiting for, girl?" demanded Tara, a black furred Mobian squirrel.

"Yeah, you got dressed all pretty! Tell us!" insisted Sarah with excitement.

"Just...someone," answered Amy, immidiately blushing and looking away from them. Her three Freedom Fighter friends spoke simultaneously.

"You got a new guy now and you didn't tell us?" accused Tara with indignation.

"Oh my God! Who _is_ he?" squeaked Sarah, bouncing in her seat and shaking Amy's arm.

"What? _New guy_? How could you!" cried Dexter, feigning sobs.

"Guys, Guys, calm down," urged Amy, exasperated. "It happened yesterday, and I haven't seen you since -"

"_What _happened yesterday?" demanded Dexter.

"Oh, it's a long story - a _lot _happened," answered Amy, her blush increasing. "But it's a long story, I'll tell you later -"

"Don't tell me you had _had sex_ with this guy," pried Tara with suspicion.

"No way! Amy, please say it isn't so!" cried Dexter, grabbing her arms and pulling her toward him.

"Dex, tone it down!" Amy protested, again disentangling herself from his grip. "I didn't sleep with him!"

"Then who is he?" asked Sarah - among the simultaneous questions from the other two...

"Is he good looking?"

"Is he powerful?"

"How did you meet him?"

"Is he a hedeghog, too?"

"Is he a warrior like us?"

"Are you trying to make Sonic jealous again?"

"Guys, too many questions! Let me breathe!" Amy stood from the bench, hands raised, suffocated by her prying friends.

"Is he like Sonic?" asked Sarah with a bright smile after the other two went quiet.

Amy paced back and forth in front of them, suddenly thoughtful. "Well, actually...he _is_ kinda like Sonic, physically at least..."

Her two female friends gazed at each other with excitement, but Dexter only looked depressed. "So...you finally got over Sonic?" he asked. The three of them studied her closely.

"That's right. It's about time I moved on," declared Amy after a brief pause.

"I agree, girl," said Tara.

"Me too. I'm _so happy for you_," squeaked Sarah excitedly.

"Thanks..."

"Amy!" Dexter was gazing sadly at Amy and again he seized her hands and pressed them together before him as if he was praying with them. "Just remember, I will always be here to take you back whenever you want."

"Uh...sure, Dex," replied Amy uncomfortably, her eyes again on the end of the trail that led to the nearest city.

"Trying to make Sonic jealous with you was the best time of my life. I'd do it again anytime. And if this dude, whoever he is, ever makes you cry one bit, I swear to God, I'll kick his butt!"

"_Sure,_ you will," teased Amy, laughing, but otherwise looking at the fox affectionately. "That's cute and I appreciate it, Dex. But I think it's time you followed my example." She gently pulled her hands away. Thanks to him, she had learned how Sonic must have felt with her chasing him so persistently.

"Don't bother, you know he's helpless," taunted Tara as she and Sarah exchanged amused looks. "Just brace yourself to deal with his -"

"Girls, get behind me _now_!"

All three females stared at Dexter with surprise. His composure had suddenly changed into total seriousness and he had assumed a battle posture, squinting at something in the direction of the trail. The girls turned to look.

At the farthest visible end of the trail, from the direction that eventually led to Station Square, a dark hedgehog figure quickly approached riding a large black motorcycle, leaving behind a cloud of dust. He wore dark sunglasses and had red and black fur and long, spiky quills.

Amy's face immidiately lit up with delight. "There he -"

"On guard!" yelled Dexter, placing himself in front of Amy, his arms extended protectively. "Amy, take out the hammer. Sarah, run to the H.Q and-"

"Dexter! _Calm_ down!" insisted Amy. "He's -"

"_Shadow_ _The Hedgehog_!" yelled Dexter nervously. "He's armed too! We need back up -"

A sharp smack to his head silenced him.

"What the hell, Tara?" snapped Dexter, glaring at his best friend and attacker, rubbing his head.

"You idiot," snapped Tara. "Have you forgotten he's our ally now?"

Sarah had been staring at the approaching dark hedgehog with a dazed expression, completely ignoring Dexter. "He looks _so_ hot..." she mused.

"_Hot?_ Are you crazy?" cried Dexter, bewildered. "He's ruthless and evil! Amy!" He placed himself in front of her, arms wide open. "I'll protect you!"

Amy Rose had been laughing silently the whole time. "Since when did I need you to protect me, Dex?" she asked with amusement. "Now if you'll excuse me..."

Amy gently pushed Dexter out of the way and walked foward just as Shadow skidded the motorcycle into a turn several feet before them, stopping and resting its weight against his leg. A G.U.N. logo marked the front of the vehicle, and it also had firearms installed on its sides.

The two girls stared with shock - and Dexter with horror - as Amy calmly approached the intimidating being before them.

"Hey, handsome," greeted Amy. She held Shadow's face with both hands and kissed him on the lips. Three simultaneous gasps came from her friends.

"Hello, Rose," answered Shadow with a pleased smirk. "Let's go."

Amy sat behind him on the motorcycle and wrapped her arms around his waist, then smiled at her friends. "See you later, guys!"

The couple took off with great speed, leaving behind a cloud of dust that covered the three stupefied Mobians up to their chests.

They stayed there frozen and speechless for a few seconds.

"Wow...Amy...has the coolest boyfriend ever!" squeaked Sarah, shaking Tara excitedly. "Oh My God! I'm so happy!"

"I know, I know, stop it!" Tara protested, disentangling herself.

"Yeayyy!" Sarah was hopping up and down, shaking her hands in a frenzy of excitement. But Dexter was still silent and motionless as he watched the vehicle quickly dissapear from sight.

"Hey, Dex," called Tara after a moment, grabbing him by the shoulder and turning him back to them. "You okay?"

He was completely pale. "Amy's in trouble...must get Sonic..." he whispered absent-mindedly, and immidiately took off at top speed toward Mobotropolis.

"What the - ? Dexter! WAIT!" yelled Tara, and along with Sarah they ran after him.


End file.
